Ryebridge Construction's £7 million contract with London Luton Airport (LLA) has been completed - on time, to budget and by embracing the airport's new approach to safety.

The project included the creation of four new aircraft stands and the construction of a new taxiway extension, both of which are set to help the airport increase capacity and improve the efficiency of aircraft movements.

The camera crews were airside in November 2017 to film the runway overnight closures and to see Ryebridge at work on the taxiway. View the film by clicking HERE.

This project formed part of the largest single investment in the airport’s history to increase annual capacity by 50% to 18 million passengers by 2020. The transformation of the airport will deliver a bigger, better terminal and improved infrastructure which will make passengers’ journeys quicker and easier.

Ryebridge Construction has enjoyed a strong relationship with LLA since it was set up nine years ago and the team are delighted to be part of this exciting project and the redevelopment of the airport. The company has invested heavily in training and will use a local supply chain wherever possible to ensure this project will positively impact the lives and businesses of the local community.

Independent economic analysis has found that LLA is an important economic driver for the local area. In 2013, the airport supported 15,000 local jobs, generating £732 million for the economy in the Three Counties region. LLA’s current expansion means that this is expected to increase to 22,000 jobs and £1.2 billion by 2030.

In June 2014 Ryebridge Construction was appointed principle contractor to Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (THFC), leading on a two-year project to prepare the site for its new multi-million -pound stadium. Ryebridge was tasked with overseeing the safe running of the project on behalf of the football club.

As principal contractor Ryebridge was responsible for providing health, safety and welfare for up to 250 workers. Initial enabling works such as welfare compound set up, site security, pedestrian and site traffic logistics.

As the project got up to speed Ryebridge supervised and managed THFC subcontractors through the bulk dig, removal of hazardous and non-hazardous material from the site, demolition of adjacent buildings, sheet pile installation, groundwater pumping setup, CFA piling and pile cap construction. Following this period of work in Tottenham Ryebridge have built strong relationships with the sub - contractors that have helped construct the foundations of the new stadium.

The carbon savings of this project were staggering. All the hard standings on site were crushed and then reused on site to form haul roads and set down points. All the inert material that was not suitable to be washed was formed into a noise reducing bund along the edge of the M25.

The washable inert material (ballast) was washed and screened into four different stockpiles. Sand, 10mm shingle, 20mm shingle, 40mm shingle and silt. The 40mm shingle was then crushed and screened once more. The only waste product was the silt.

Weekly progress meetings were held in the stadium board room and Ryebridge played an important part in assisting THFC surveyors with progress reports and sub-contractor progress on site. The site was registered with the Considerate Contractors Scheme (CCS) and received a good report when inspected by the CCS representative. A daily report was compiled by the Ryebridge site manager and sent to Ryebridge senior management and THFC project team. The advanced stadium works managed by Ryebridge won a gold award at the 2016 Rospa Awards at the Excel, London.

Working closely with Haringey Council’s highways authority Ryebridge installed storm drainage outfalls across the main high road into the Moselle culvert and excavated numerous trial holes in the footpaths and roads around the stadium for existing services identification to assist the design team.

As THFC were still using the existing stadium for home football matches Ryebridge ensured that the works on site did not interfere with the day by day operations of the stadium and worked closely with the stadium management and security teams. During the closed season Ryebridge managed to ensure critical works were completed and the area around the stadium reinstated before the football season commenced.

High profile buildings adjacent to the new stadium site were demolished by Ryebridge and our help with the initial enabling works helped to get the stadium project up to speed.

In January 2016 Ryebridge successfully handed the running of the site to Mace and continued managing satellite sites within half a mile of the stadium which were predominantly used as a base for the ongoing washing of excavated ballast and batching of concrete from a Tarmac operated batching plant.

Kier Group plc is a leading property, residential, construction and services group and in 2014 commissioned Ryebridge Construction to play a key part in the construction of a new link road in Berryfields, Aylesbury.

Ryebridge Construction led on the deep drainage, manholes, head walls and fin drain, helping construct a long needed link road in Aylesbury. This was made all the more challenging as the construction was through a flood plane, with 4-5m of deep drainage, manholes, head walls and fin draining, totally 10km.

We are the current London Luton Airport framework civils and building contractor and as such are responsible for taxiway and runway maintenance and general airport infrastructure maintenance. We have a committed team specifically responsible for this contract and the six-year proven track record is testimony to a well-run contract. Our duties include daily, weekly, monthly inspections, proactive and reactive maintenance and a 24 hour call out service.

For the last eight years we have managed and implemented nine consecutive night closures, during which all non-essential repairs/ maintenance is undertaken. This includes runways, taxiways and general airside infrastructure.

In 2013 Ryebridge worked on the installation of a new Airfield Ground Lighting (AGL) system at London Luton Airport for Inviron, since taken over by European technical services provider Imtech. The team were involved in this project from the very first stages, tasked with producing the civil design elements. Once these were signed off and of course shown to be CAA compliant Ryebridge then constructed the pits and just over 4,000m of ducting in the airside environment. It also performed the slot-cutting and sealing work, again to CAA standards.

For new client INDRA the Ryebridge team removed the old tower and installed a new Surface Movement Radar tower and antenna. Ryebridge completed all works including foundations and piling, tower erection, all in co-ordination with NATS and ATC.

The existing surface movement radar (SMR) tower had to be replaced and as such a new tower had to be constructed to facilitate this and the current health and safety regulations around working at height. Ryebridge were tasked with designing and building the foundations for the tower and to project manage the construction of the new tower and the installation of the new SMR. On completion we were then tasked with the removal of the old tower and radar. This was all done adjacent to London Luton Airport’s Taxiway Alpha, the main artery of the airport.

The project was completed on time, on budget and without any major disruption.

Ryebridge was appointed by Surrey’s Redhill Aerodrome to realign its existing runway, which forms part of the perimeter taxiway, and to remove the curve within it. The runway was closed for the duration of the works, with the remainder of the airfield open and maintained for light aircraft traffic including helicopters.

The close proximity of an area of environmental significance provided unique challenges to Ryebridge, who put in additional measures to prevent water contamination.

An envirobund was constructed to protect flora and fauna and to help with the water run-off, along with temporary diversion ditches designed to prevent run-off entering the water course until the final drainage was installed.

Works involved:

• Partial full depth breakout of existing runway, returning it to soft with compliant gradients to EASA – 1600m2• Removal and disposal of contaminated asphalt• Full depth construction of new aircraft pavement to widen and realign runway• New asphalt surfacing over the newly constructed realigned runway including an asphalt reinforcement grid – 7500m2• Groove finished asphalt surface• The reinstatement of surface markings• Installation of a new drainage system• Regrading and landscaping

In 2012 Ryebridge Construction was appointed by building contractor John Sisk & Son to undertake the civil construction on a new hanger, apron and cargo compound at London Luton Airport (LLA) for Signature Flight Support. Its role was to liaise with LLA operatives to demolish existing buildings, secure site security fencing, remove hazardous waste, install deep drainage and lay 5,000 m3 concrete to create a new compound, with the former compound then being removed. This involved breaking 6,000m3 of concrete and recycling it back to a type 1 material for reuse.

In 2014 Ryebridge Construction was appointed directly by Signature Flight Support to undertake a key phase of their London Luton Airport expansion plan.

This involved the demolition of Hanger 62, a complex project given the proximity of nearby stands (just 20m away), the fact the hanger was built over a live substation and existence of ballistic steel and bomb proof concrete. Adding to the challenge was the weather. The tail end of a hurricane took hold as the team were carefully removing roof sheets.

Once the building was removed the slab was broken up and recycled back into a useable product. Drainage was then laid followed by 4,000sqm of pavement quality concrete. This won Ryebridge was removed and the slab taken away and recycled – an initiative which won Ryebridge its second Green Apple Award for environmental excellence – drainage was then laid. The substation was then relocated and a blast proof acoustic fence erected.

This project was delivered on time and to the original budget – something the team at Signature Flight Support thought remarkable.

In the 2015 Ryebridge was proud to receive a third consecutive RoSpa Gold Award for its work on the HV Ringmain at London Luton Airport, where in partnership with Bowers Electrical Ltd they updated the 50+ year old High Voltage infrastructure that feeds the airfield.

Ryebridge installed 11km of HV cable around a live airport environment having only one minor cable strike throughout the whole job. It installed a new substation, high voltage cable diversion/installation and Thrust Boring under taxiways and runway.

To reduce damage to the airports runway and taxiways, Ryebridge implemented horizontal directional drilling (HDD), a steerable trenchless method of installing underground pipes, conduits and cables in a shallow arc along a prescribed bore path using a surface-launched drilling rig, with minimal impact on the surrounding area, something that Ryebridge always strives to do.